Stonehill Skyhawks vs Mercyhurst Lakers Prediction, 1/17/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Stonehill Skyhawks vs Mercyhurst Lakers

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026

Location: Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie, PA

TV: ESPN+

Mercyhurst Athletic Center is the site where the Mercyhurst Lakers (7-10) will attempt to beat the Stonehill Skyhawks (5-12) on Saturday.

The Stonehill Skyhawks stepped onto the hardwood against Chicago State and walked away with a win by a score of 85-82 in their last contest. Stonehill ended the contest having earned a 47.5% field goal percentage (29 out of 61) and made 12 out of their 32 three-point attempts. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Skyhawks made 15 of their 21 attempts for a rate of 71.4%. Regarding grabbing boards, they earned a total of 44 with 16 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 20 assists in this contest while forcing the opposition into 4 turnovers and having 2 steals. With regard to the defense, Stonehill let their opponent shoot 45.3% from the field on 29 of 64 shooting. Chicago State distributed 15 assists and had 11 steals for this game. Additionally, Chicago State had 22 rebounds (4 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Chicago State finished 81.0% at the free throw line by burying 17 of their 21 shots. They knocked down 7 out of their 17 attempts from long range. With respect to fouls, the Skyhawks left the arena with 16 while Chicago State recorded 22 fouls.

Davante Hackett is one guy who was a contributor in the game. He ended up shooting 41.2% from the floor and totaled 2 assists. He played for 39 minutes and totaled 11 rebounds. He was able to score 22 points on 7 out of 17 shooting.

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Stonehill steps onto the hardwood with a mark of 5-12 for the year. They average 68.4 pts per contest (333rd in the country) while going 42.3% from the field. The Skyhawks are hitting 34.6% on shots from distance (139 of 402) and 68.7% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Stonehill is grabbing 38.7 rebounds per game and has earned 229 assists for the season, which is 250th in the country in terms of passing the rock. They turn it over 14.2 times per game and as a team they are committing 16.8 personal fouls per contest.

On defense, the Skyhawks have forced 9.2 turnovers per game while drawing 14.6 personal fouls. They surrender 34.4% from beyond the arc and they rank 146th in college hoops in points per game from their opponents (72.1). The Skyhawks defense is allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 43.2% (437 of 1,011) and they surrender 33.8 rebounds per game as a squad. They rank 32nd in the nation in allowing assists to the opposition with 188 relinquished so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the Mercyhurst Lakers took home the win by a final score of 70-69 against Wagner. The Lakers were able to pull down 27 defensive rebounds and 1 offensive boards for a total of 28 in this matchup. They coughed up the ball 4 times, while earning 6 steals for the game. Wagner was called for 16 personal fouls in this game which got the Lakers to the charity stripe for 21 attempts. They were able to bury 17 of the free throws for a rate of 81.0%. In regard to shots from 3-point land, Mercyhurst buried 5 out of 13 tries (38.5%). When the final whistle was blown, the Lakers went 24 out of 49 from the field which had them sitting at 49.0%. The Lakers allowed Wagner to convert 25 of 59 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 42.4% in this contest. They went 45.5% from downtown by going 10 of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 9 out of 16 at the free throw line (56.3%). In regard to rebounding, Mercyhurst allowed Wagner to grab 36 overall (10 on the offensive glass).

Bernie Blunt III was important for the Lakers in the matchup. He tallied 23 points in his 30 minutes on the court and earned 3 dimes in the game. He made 6 of 12 for the game for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and earned 4 rebounds.

Mercyhurst has a win-loss mark of 7-10 this year. As an offense, the Lakers are shooting 45.1% from the floor, which has them ranked 201st in the nation. Mercyhurst has accounted for 1,135 points so far this season (66.8 per game) and they pull down 31.4 boards per game. They are getting an assist 14.3 times per contest (190th in college hoops) and they cough up possession 10.5 times per contest. The Lakers commit 17.9 fouls every game and they hit 66.7% from the free throw line.

The Mercyhurst defense concedes 34.4% on shots from distance (107 of 311) and their opponents are connecting on 71.8% of their shots from the free throw line. They relinquish 11.6 assists and 34.7 boards per game, which is 49th and 199th in Division 1. The Lakers on the defensive end are ranked 31st in college hoops in points allowed per contest with 66.6. They have forced 13.6 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.4% from the field (165th in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Mercyhurst

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